The Berlin Airlift

Question 1

What did Truman see Stalins actions as and what was he determined to do ?

Answer 1

• he saw Berlin as a test case
• Truman was determined to stand up to Soviet aggression
• If the western Allie’s have in to the Soviets it would send a message of western weakness which could cause further soviet aggression

Question 2

What did the Allies settle on ?

Answer 2

The only way into Berlin was by air
- they to airlift supplies from their bases into West Germany
- it was very difficult as it was I know wether the Soviets would shoot them down however no shots where fired

Question 3

When did the Berlin Airlifts began and how long did they last ?

Answer 3

Began on 28 June 1948 and lasted for ten long months

Question 4

How did the plan work ?

Answer 4

• each plan was given a 90 second interval to land
• basically tones of planes coming in each day to bring supplies

Question 5

What made the job so difficult ?

Answer 5

• soviet planes flew across flight paths and wether balloons where placed in deliberate positions to make flying tricky

Question 6

What did Truman do as a warning to the Soviet Union ? ( type of aircraft)

Answer 6

• he flew B-29 bombers capable of nuclear attacks to be sent to Britain meaning the Soviet Union was now in range of nuclear weapons

Question 7

Initially how much supplies where being flow over per day ?

Answer 7

4,600 tones

Question 8

What did Stalin do to try and make it less effective ? What did he hope would slow it down

Answer 8

• the Soviet Union attempted to persuade people to move East however only 3% of people took the offer
• Stalin hoped that a severe winter would slow the process down however this was not the case

Question 9

At it’s peak how much supplies where being flown in per day ?

Answer 9

16-17 April 1949 when1,398 flights a day with 13,000 tones of supplies

Question 10

What where west Berliners supplied with during the crisis ?

Answer 10

• everything from food to oil and building materials to clothes
• but there where still shortages which did cause some to leave the city

Question 11

Closer to the end of the airlifts how many planes where flying in with how much supplies

Answer 11

275,000 flights a day with 4,000 tones of supplies

Question 12

When did Stalin call and end to the blockade ?

Answer 12

May 12 1949
- he had failed to starve the Allies in Berlin and many celebrated at his announcement to end it